Chapter 724: Task Force
Meanwhile, on the Trailblazer, Ryo received the confirmation message from the Death World base: the appearance adjustments for the fifty Skitarii soldiers and Tech-Priest Calvin-77 had been completed, and they were on standby for transmission at any time.
At the same time, a brief code of conduct, interaction protocols, and an identification scheme aligned with RDA standards for this Pandora Security Vanguard had also been prepared.
A few days later, at the predetermined coordinates on the edge of the Pandora star system, the eerie blue light of the dimensional gateway lit up briefly.
A transport ship with a streamlined design and no identifying marks sailed out, descending toward the atmosphere of planet Pandora.
This ship landed on a temporary landing pad near the Trailblazer mobile base.
The hatch opened, and fifty soldiers clad in rugged, gray-black power armor marched out in neat formation, led by Tech-Priest Calvin-77.
The lines of their power armor were sharp, with heavy plating at the joints. The simplified geometric insignias on their pauldrons and chest plates made them look sturdy and practical.
Their helmet visors were dark, obscuring the internal structure. The exposed weapon interfaces and equipment hardpoints appeared highly industrial, devoid of any superfluous decoration.
The overall impression was indeed that of an elite unit from a technological civilization that prioritized practicality.
Calvin-77 walked at the front of the formation.
He wore a red robe and carried a device resembling a tactical backpack. On his face was a pair of wide goggles, with faint data streams flashing at the edges of the lenses. He held a data pad in his hand, his steps steady.
Ryo (Second Avatar) and some members of Maine's squad were present to receive them. Maine sized up the newly arrived team and nodded. "They look the part. Much neater than the gear we brought out of Night City."
"They are here to fulfill a formal contract; their image needs to be professional," Ryo said simply, then walked toward Calvin-77.
"Tech-Priest Calvin-77, reporting to you." Calvin-77's voice had been adjusted to sound like a steady baritone with an appropriate synthesized texture, lacking the metallic friction characteristic of traditional Tech-Priests.
"Welcome to Pandora," Ryo said. "The mission briefing has been transmitted to you. Your primary responsibility is to coordinate the technical integration and equipment maintenance between this security squad and the RDA, and to serve as our daily liaison with the RDA in that sector. Simultaneously, collect all technical environmental data in the area."
"Understood. Mission parameters received. I will ensure the squad operates efficiently and completes the data collection tasks," Calvin-77 replied.
"Maine," Ryo turned to Maine. "You and Dorio will familiarize them with the base's outer perimeter, then share the defensive layout map of the South Wing Refinery area provided by the RDA. Priest Calvin needs to know all the details."
"Leave it to us," Maine replied.
Soon, this newly arrived security squad was settled in the base's expanded living quarters. They displayed no abnormalities, followed a regular routine, conducted adaptation training, and checked their equipment.
Calvin-77 buried himself in studying the facility blueprints and defense system protocols provided by the RDA, and began testing the compatibility of the detection equipment they brought with the local network.
A few days later, the RDA board of directors formally approved the security outsourcing pilot contract with the Seekers.
The scope of the contract, liability clauses, payment cycles, and oversight mechanisms had gone through repeated back-and-forth negotiations, but were ultimately signed.
Although Colonel Quaritch was reluctant, under pressure from the board and persuasion from Parker, he went through with the procedures.
The Hell's Gate base sent a transport aircraft and several representatives from the RDA security department to handle the handover and initial coordination.
In the South Wing Refinery sector, a portion of the RDA garrison began an orderly withdrawal, transferring control privileges of the main defense towers and sensor arrays, as well as the patrol route maps, to the newly arrived Seeker security squad.
Calvin-77 led his squad members and meticulously took over the various facilities. They inspected the equipment, adjusted sensor parameters, deployed their own supplementary detection units, and replanned the patrol shifts and rapid response routes according to new contingency plans.
The entire process was so professional and efficient that the RDA officers who came for the handover could not find a single fault. They only muttered privately that this unit was almost excessively disciplined and barely communicated at all.
Meanwhile, Maine's squad, Rei Ayanami, and the others did not change their original missions due to the arrival of the new forces.
At the Land of Chants, Rei Ayanami met regularly with Sutai, conveying the Seekers' support for the Na'vi learning anti-stealth techniques. She also provided some screened, non-sensitive technical advice, such as how to improve arrow manufacturing to enhance disruption effects on energy shields, or how to use extracts from certain native plants to create simple tracking powder.
These practical little tricks further won the favor of Sutai and her followers.
Sutai also revealed the latest internal developments of the clans to her: Tsu'tey's injuries were healing slowly, and his influence was continuously shrinking alongside the sustained external pressure and the practical benefits demonstrated by the cooperative faction.
Chief Eytukan was increasingly inclined to adopt her suggestions and had begun contacting several other clans heavily affected by the attacks to discuss the possibilities of joint defense and intelligence sharing.
"Allies from the sky... your help is tangible," Sutai said to Rei Ayanami sincerely at the end of one meeting. "Although those invisible demons still appear and disappear unpredictably, our hunters are no longer as helpless as before, and our losses are decreasing. This proves the path is correct."
Rei Ayanami merely nodded calmly. "Dr. Ryo hopes the cooperation can continue and bring more stability."
In the base and the RDA's active areas, Maine, Dorio, and the others continued to operate under the guise of Seeker exploration team members.
They interacted with some of the RDA's low-level technicians and soldiers, gathering information through casual chats, learning about changes in morale within the base, opinions on the new outsourcing contract, and rumors regarding high-level decisions.
Rebecca and Pilar would occasionally wander around the RDA's recreation areas, trading trinkets brought from Night City for local information or supplies. Falco paid more attention to the patterns of RDA aircraft takeoffs, landings, and material transport.
Jack and Valerie, along with their Iron Guard mechs, existed as a deterrent force for the base. They occasionally conducted public adaptation training to display their strength, but did not involve themselves much in specific affairs.
Ryo (Second Avatar) coordinated all of this. Through the regular reports transmitted back by Calvin-77, he monitored the security operations in the South Wing sector, ensuring the contract was strictly fulfilled while simultaneously collecting first-hand data on the RDA's critical facilities.
He reviewed the preliminary concept documents for the World Soul Reshaping Plan initially submitted by Elandir, raising more specific technical questions and requirements.
He also kept an eye on the preliminary research progress regarding the Predator captives at the Death World base, as well as the progress synchronization of the gene-seed project and the Titan Cult project from his main body on Necromunda.
The chessboard of Pandora had entered a new phase. On the surface, cooperation was deepening, and the Seekers were embedding themselves into the RDA's operational system in a more direct manner. In the shadows, a long-term transformation plan targeting the planet's consciousness was brewing. Meanwhile, Maine's squad and Rei Ayanami, who maintained relations with the Na'vi, continued to provide superficial justification and intelligence support for all of this.
The newly arrived Skitarii squad was like a sturdy nail driven into Pandora's map of factions. Silent, efficient, and professional, they perfectly played the role of security contractors without any suspicious anomalies. Only Ryo and a few core members knew that their inner loyalty and mission had never changed; they had merely donned a cloak that made it easier to operate in this world.
Everything was advancing steadily and firmly according to the adjusted deployment, laying an increasingly solid foundation for that grander and more secretive World Soul Reshaping Plan.